Dakotafish

The very first thing you'll notice about Dakotafish, more specifically the man behind the band Mike Fish, are the eerily similar vocals to Thom Yorke. There is nothing wrong with that, who wouldn't want to have a divine voice as long as it didn't come packaged with that crazy-looking mystical eye. There is something about his debut EP that gets under the skin and into your ears, it's not an overpowering or struggling to be different sound that plagues many new acts. With that haunting voice, rich strings, and off-kilter instrumentation the music creeps up on you like that eerie Passover mist taking the firstborns in Charlton Heston's The Ten Commandments.

If you want some fine beats mixed with coy guitar plucking, I'd recommend checking out the catchy single "Landlocked". If you really want to hear that Thom Yorke comparison in full bloom, check out "Teenage Years" and then hit up a family tree and find out how many branches separate these two. - I Guess I'm Floating Blogspot, 10/11/08

With just four released songs under his belt, Mike Fish is making quite a splash (get it?) under the moniker Dakotafish. His debut EP was just released, and it's quite a captivating start. The first thing that you'll notice is the vocals. Powerful and full of character, they soar above the music in a Thom Yorke-like fashion. And this comes on top of his well-orchestrated folk tunes, which are full of creativity. Throw in some innovative guitar playing and off-kilter beats, and you've got one awesome folk EP. - Under The Rotunda Blogspot, 11/11/08

"For all those Radiohead fans out there, I recommend keeping a very close eye on Mike Fish, also known as Dakotafish. Though his music is a more instrumental based than Radiohead, a little folkier, I won’t be the first person, and definitely not the last, to acknowledge how similar his vocals are to Thom Yorke. It’s eerie.

I am extremely impressed with the four tracks on his self-titled EP, and if Fish’s debut is as memorizing as this EP, I could easily see him becoming a leading musician in the indie scene. His blend of beats and guitar rifts, mixed with various electronic and orchestral arrangements makes for a unique sound that fits perfectly with his vocals.

In the summer of 2007, Mike Fish formed the Dakotafish project in San Diego (they are based in Encinitas, California). He plays many of the instruments heard on the EP, but Jennifer Argenti and Manuel Rhueda help with the strings and drums, respectfully (Aaron Sterling played drums on the EP.) Fish seems like a really cool guy, which can easily be seen in the FAQ’s he coincidentally wrote and answered. He is also a talented photographer, and you can see some of his pictures here. The EP packaging was beautifully done, and the aesthetics on their own make this worth physically owning.

Fish said after taking his EP to the Amoeba CD store in Los Angeles, “As a friendly rocker behind the counter took it away, I felt a little like I was looking at the last scene from ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark.’ You know, with the guy wheeling the ark into that huge government warehouse amongst thousands and thousands of other buried and lost artifacts?” Don’t allow that to be the fate of this EP. Check it out."

David, Founder of Indie Muse - Indie Muse

"Under the moniker of Dakotafish, Mike Fish has just recently come out with a brand new EP, Motion in Relation to Other Objects, that’s available as a free download on his website. First of all, the album artwork, work of Sir Austin Lane, is a feast for the eyes. It matches the title perfectly.

I have been listening to the EP, and I have to say that I’m very impressed. His voice echoes through all 4 songs in perfect harmony with the percussion and beats in the background. One of the highlights of this EP is Sonambulo. The piano, guitar and vocals play a huge part in defining the melody, and the beats make you want to tap your feet all the way through it. This is the ideal track for a dream." - Soundheard

"One to watch... crafts intricate indie pop melodies that are part Pinback, and part Thom Yorke wearing party pants." –San Diego City Beat - San Diego City Beat

“At UCLA Radio, we have a catalog of over 10,000 artists, but Dakotafish somehow always ends up on my iPod. Makes you realize there are bands out there just waiting to blow up.” –DJ Octoon, UCLA Radio - DJ Octoon, UCLA Radio

Dakotafish uit California schuwt het experiment niet. Mike Fish is het genie. Hij speelt bijna alle instrumenten. Maar dan de video. Die is met evenveel liefde gemaakt als het nummer. 1 en 1 is 3 in dit geval. Landlocked is ook de titel van de EP die deze zomer uitkwam. Ja ik hoor af en toe ook een Radioheadish soundje voorbijkomen, maar het iets meer folky.

Radioheadish sound? Yep, but folkish. Great video? Yep. Great track? Yep. Wanna hear more? Yep. - Earbiter (Oobijter)

It had a great beat, I loved the bass line, and I liked the vocals that hauntingly sang in the background. I know it sounds weird, but it’s almost like a cross between Michael Jackson and Franz Ferdinand. It had kind of surreal lyrics. The one line that caught my ear the most was “rats jumping ship before it sinks in the sand.” It sounded like they had a drum machine, and it was very layered as far as instrumentation goes. They maybe had an actual bass guitar, but it sounded more computer-generated than, like, live music. I really dig that style. I could see that song in the background of a car commercial. - SD Reader